WTF.....

Why go to all the trouble of developing a hybrid (even if it is just an FEH spinoff) if you're going to sell it in one state. Stupid....

Nate

 

Its all about federal tax cuts. Not making the customer happy.

 

From Mazda's own website...

"The 2008 Tribute HEV is being made in a production run of about 350 vehicles and sold in select areas of California."

 

Mainly its all about trying to turn a profit.... something Ford unfortuantely MUST concentrate on right now. Sometimes that interferes, such as producing yet another variation of a vehicle that isn't selling as well as they would like and looses money for them.

Now... that being said... I'll be darned as to why they are even bothering to build 350 Mazda Tribute Hybrids.

 

Because Mazda can now attend the Hybrid Builders conventions in HI, and say "me too!"

 

That's probably the extent of it.
Just for PR and Photo Ops.
Not unlike the "Twenty" Flex-Fuel FEH's Ford built.
I've been asking for one of those for 2 years.
So far, I've heard only 20 were built for "demo" purposes.

 

In thinking about this, I am surprised that making just 350 of them, is even worth the cost of changing the hybrid "fig leaf" emblem design, and the Mazda emblem'ed engine cover. They make a lot more than just 350 of the MMH, and it doesn't even get its own Mercury emblem'ed engine cover.

 

I am betting its a tax issue. Maybe something to do with being allowed to sell vehicles in California.

To do such a small test market, must have an alternative motive.

 

I'll bet Mazda is doing it to bring up the EPA average across the board for their fleet of vehicles being offered to the public.

The 350 unit number might be what is required to have the vehicle counted.

 

I talked to an exec at Mazda recently, here's the skinny:

They want to build MTH's. They're just in a "last in line" situation with the packs going to the FEH/MMH, which is severely limiting their production capabilities, as they don't have enough to mass produce and sell them until their supply problems are cleared up. There is no plan for it to be sold only in California, but that's where the initial run will be sold mostly because that's where the buyers are, and they can't afford to have a single MTH sit around on any dealer lots, or face a situation where certain dealers get a single MTH to sell nationwide.

They are also in a situation where they'd like to increase their hybrid offerings, but have been encountering some resistance from Ford/Mercury. While the person I talked to didn't know what the status of the Ford Fusion Hybrid's release will have, the big point was that right now, they just don't have packs to build models, and really want that situation to change; they're planning on selling the MTH in all 50 states once they have the ability to do so.

If anything, he seemed almost as frustrated as we are about the situation, if not more so.